Best Metal Album Of ALL Time?

[JayKeeley]

You know what - I did know about Live After Death being 1985 (I think), but from a 'purist' standpoint, and regardless of how shockingly good the album is, should live albums be included? To be fair, they typically carry no new material....

Having said that, some live versions of songs are MUCH better than the studio versions. For example:

Iron Maiden - Revelations and Hallowed Be Thy Name on Live After Death are better than the studio counterparts.

Ozzy Osbourne - Tribute. Annything by Randy Rhoads live (where he was just allowed to rip his guitar to shreds) destroys what he did in the controlled studio environment.

 

[Ayeka]

It's a matter of opinion as to whether live albums can be included in these things or not, which is fair enough. I understand why one wouldn't, as a studio album is the basis of a band's output...but then, when you're dealing with truly outstanding live albums (I would like to plug Unleashed In The East because I can! ) sometimes they cannot be ignored...

I am glad you know about Live After Death, as I would have had to have judged you very badly if you hadn't known about it!

And I would like to add, about live counterparts being better than studio - every song bar Exciter on Unleashed... has to count for that (though I'm yet to hear the studio version of Sinner ) ... had to say that same goes for a lot of songs on Priest...Live! I think.

 

[JayKeeley]

Originally posted by Ayeka

I am glad you know about Live After Death, as I would have had to have judged you very badly if you hadn't known about it!

Sure I do - I posted the thread about the Live After Death DVD don't forget.

Which, by the way, is unreal.

 

[Ayeka]

Man, I'm judging myself badly for forgetting that! you got that DVD, dude?

 

[Tet]

There are so many excellent albums, that I'd really struggle to pick a "best" one. So here's just an incomplete list of some that I think qualify, in no particular order:

Iron Maiden -- Iron Maiden
Judas Priest -- Defenders Of The Faith
Dio -- Holy Diver
Manowar -- Fighting The World
Scorpions -- Love At First Sting
Annihilator -- Waking The Fury
Borknagar -- Empiricism
Metallica -- Ride The Lightning
Black Sabbath -- Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Queensryche -- Operation: Mindcrime
Helloween -- Better Than Raw (yep, IMHO better than Keeper I & II as well)
Primal Fear -- Nuclear Fire
Warlock -- Triumph And Agony
Blind Guardian -- Imaginations From The Other Side
W.A.S.P. -- The Headless Children
Megadeth -- Cryptic Writings

Obviously, virtually all of those bands could have had alternative albums and it would still be considered a "best of all time" list, but those are my picks. BTW, on the off chance that people here don't already know about it, Brian Russ has been collecting top ten metal lists on the net since 1995 (that late? I'm sure I remember him being around in the late 80s and early 90s -- amazing how your mind can play tricks!).

 

[Odins_warrior]

Well I can't believe I'm going to be the first to say what I have to say, but so be it. What about Slayer's 'Reign in Blood'? Surely THE best metal album ever! I'd be tempted to add 'Back in Black' but it aint metal, it just classic hard rockin' action
As for good albums from '85 I'm pretty sure 'Hell Awaits' is from '85... and that's a great album.
Other great albums are (from any era):
Zimmers Hole - Legion of Flames
Bal-Sagoth - any of their albums actually
Burzum (all)
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Helloween - Keepers 2 (from what I've heard anyway)
Judas Priest - British Steel
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
too many to mention really... I have lots of great metal albums, some black, others death, a fair few thrash/speed etc. etc.

 

[The Crystal King]

The best Metal album of all time... hhhhhhmmmmmmmmm....

Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of A Seventh Son

I got it when I was 8 or 9 years old (my first album) and I never tired of it!

 

[Cornholio]

definetely Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World

 

[looseunit]

EDGUY- MANDRAKE

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

For the life of me, I couldn't find anything astounding that was released in 1985. Anyone got any ideas? I'm sure there was an abundant amount....

Ali, I'm ASHAMED of you!

Both Master Of Puppets and Powerslave were released in 1985, 2 of the best albums EVER!

EDIT: Hmmm...maybe you should be ashamed of me! Do I have my dates mixed up? I could have SWORN both these albums were 1985...ahh, bollocks! <----trying to fit in with all you limeys

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Meh, anyway, I vote for Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime as the greatest metal album of all time, and for that matter, the greatest ALBUM of all time!

 

[JayKeeley]

Both Master Of Puppets and Powerslave were released in 1985, 2 of the best albums EVER!

No siree - MoP was 1986, and Powerslave was 1984.

(And if you're interested, Op Mindcrime was 1988.)

1985 was a pretty dead year for metal as far as I can tell!!

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Bah! Maybe I was being punished for being bad at age 12, who knows?!

 

[JayKeeley]

I think that since Ride the Lightning and Powerslave came out in 1984, everyone just kind of 'forgot' about 1985!

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Hell Awaits by Slayers came out in 1985; hardly the landmark that Reign In Blood was, but still a monumental thrash metal album anyway.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

I've also discovered that Killing Is My Business... by Megadeth came out in 1985. Again, not their best even, but an often overlooked thrash metal classic.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

And lastly, while we're at it, Walls Of Jericho by the original incarnation of Helloween was first released in 1985. Some might say this is the first true "speed metal" album, so it deserves mention.

 

[rsilvergun]

I can't believe nobody mentioned either Abigail or Them from King Daimond. Still, my vote goes to Awaken the Gaurdian. Cool thing is, even after all these years I can still regularily find it at my local record shop .

 

[Pentagram Prayer]

Judas Priest - Painkiller
Slayer - Hell Awaits
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness
Carcass - Necroticism
Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Possessed - Seven Churches
Dark Funeral - Vobiscum Satanas
Setherial - Hell Eternal
Venom - Welcome To Hell
Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated
Violence - Eternal Nightmare
Halford - Resurrection

 

[MetalNESS]

Judas Priest - Painkiller
Slayer - Hell Awaits
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness
Carcass - Necroticism
Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Possessed - Seven Churches
Dark Funeral - Vobiscum Satanas
Setherial - Hell Eternal
Venom - Welcome To Hell
Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated
Violence - Eternal Nightmare
Halford - Resurrection

Nice list. Bathory's Hammerheart is better than UtSotBM, IMO. Also Venom's Black Metal had more of an influence than Welcome to Hell. Slayer's Reign in Blood beats Hell Awaitsas well. One more I disagree with is Carcass, I'm not much for grindcore, but Heartwork, although more melodic death, is damn good. But, I can't disagree with Vio-lence - Eternal Nightmare, great band great album.